Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: One was killed, another injured in a raid by an Israeli drone on the city of Khiam in South Lebanon
London views possibility of setting fire to tanker in port of friendly country to Russia to damage port infrastructure, initiate an international probe: Moscow
One of London's scenarios involves setting up accident with 'undesirable' tanker in one of the bottlenecks of maritime communications: Russian foreign intelligence agency
London plans to organize major sabotage with tankers to declare transportation of Russian oil to international shipping: Russian foreign intelligence agency
UK intelligence agencies plan to use NATO allies to launch massive raid on 'Shadow Fleet': Russian foreign intelligence agency
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.

Study to focus on reasons of infertility among recent war veterans

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 24 Aug 2022 16:22
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

The new study seeks to find out why veterans from the US most recent wars are more likely to suffer from issues related to infertility than their civilian counterparts.

  • x
  • From a news conference about military burn pits legislation with veterans advocacy groups and Democratic members of Congress outside the US Capitol on March 29, 2022
    From a news conference about military burn pits legislation with veterans advocacy groups and Democratic members of Congress outside the US Capitol on March 29, 2022

Researchers on Tuesday announced their plans for a new study to find out why veterans from the US most recent wars are more likely to suffer from issues related to infertility than their civilian counterparts.

Officials from Legacy, a fertility clinic, will partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs for the study.

Researchers will test sperm collected from more than 1,000 veterans that participated in the onslaught of aggression in West Asia and North Africa dubbed by the United States as the "Global War on Terror" in a bid to look for common problems among the population of veterans.

For over two decades, the US waged wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, to name a few countries, and this not only take the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians throughout the years of war but also saw thousands of US soldiers suffering from many issues, psychological and physical, to serve the "greater goal" of solidifying Washington's standing in the international arena.

Read next: 1/4 of US 400 wars were in Middle East, Africa - Study

The goal of the study is to use the findings to expand the fertility services the Veterans Affairs Department offers over the coming years.

"As a VA physician, I have witnessed firsthand veterans struggling with family building," Veterans Health Administration's healthcare innovation chief Dr. Ryan Vega said. "This effort is important to further understanding a tackling a challenge so many of our nation's veterans face."

Previous studies have shown that the rate of fertility among soldiers that fought in Afghanistan and Iraq could be half that of civilians for unclear reasons.

Legacy officials said they plan on studying various variables, including burn pit exposure during service, traumatic brain injury side effects, and ongoing PTSD, to see how these issues might affect the conception of a child.

Related News

Clashes erupt in Deir Hafer between SDF, Syrian army factions

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

US troops stationed overseas have long held a practice of using burn pits to get rid of their toxic waste. The items that went into the burn pits included batteries, medical waste, plastics, ammunition, even amputated body parts, rubber and chemicals.

Nearly 30,000 troops and filled out a survey on exposure to burn pits between April to December 2014, and data from the survey highlighted the health conditions experienced by US troops. 

The most commonly diagnosed health problems were insomnia and neurological problems. Other problems included allergies, high blood pressure, lung diseases like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.

One veteran, Julie Tomaska from the Minnesota Air National Guard, who was deployed during the invasion of Iraq on twice in 2005 and 2007, was living near one of these burn pits, which was in Iraq's Balad airbase. She and her colleagues knew this could not be good for them.

Although more than 200,000 servicemembers have registered at the burn pits registry to help "better understand the potential health effects of burn pits and other exposures", the majority of the claims have so far been rejected. 

The study will focus on men only, but organizers said they hoped the findings will improve fertility services given by VA.

The researchers will collect and test sperm samples. They will then be cryogenically stored to be reanalyzed six months later in order to identify any additional issues.

The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between VA and Legacy stipulates that the company covers the cost of cryopreservation for all study participants through December 2023, and VA will be responsible for covering the cost of any continued preservation after that date.

The findings will be released in a report in early 2024.

the fact that the study must be done shows that the US wars on "terror" did not have any beneficiaries except the officials in Washington and the conglomerates they used to exploit and loot the natural resources of the countries that were the victims of their aggression.

  • Syria
  • United States
  • Afghanistan
  • burn pits
  • Iraq
  • Somalia
  • Yemen

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS